A Day At The Beach With Tabitha Smith
by seeinglikeHeis
Summary: A day at the beach with Tabitha Smith. She might just teach Cannonball how to swim or let him drown. No one knows with Tabitha. CannonballxBoom Boom.
1. Chapter 1

I have always been considered bad news.

To most people, that means that you should lock your doors and hide your keys whenever I come around.

However, some people think that bad news is good news.

Because when bad news brings you the things that you want, it can't be that bad at all.

"Keep your hands on the wheel, Tabitha," Logan instructs as I drive through traffic in my native state of Virginia.

In the backseat of the black X-van sits three of my teammates.

Jaimie Maddox is playing a new video game.

Jubilee sits facing away from the seat next to her, which is holding her current boyfriend, Bobby Drake.

I suspect a lover's rift.

"Keep your eyes on the road," My instructor and annoying passenger seat companion, Mr. Badger himself, berates me.

I laugh and stop looking in my driver mirror.

I keep my eyes focused on the road and the country side ahead of me.

We have about an hour left before we reach our destination.

That is according to Mr. Badger's sense of direction and the crappy map in front of him.

I suggested that we use the high tech technology that the bald guy has installed in this black metal machine, but anything I suggest goes in one ear of The Badger's head and out the other.

He doesn't trust me.

I know that he won't listen to me, either.

I don't mind.

I am happy to be driving through my old stomping grounds.

I made sure to point out all the historical locations that come with being a native Virginian to my outsider friends.

My teammates didn't mind the pit stops, and we have about a thousand memorable pictures.

However, The Badger has bitched about my frequent stops almost as much as he has about my driving skills.

Oh well.

I have a few good photos of him gruffing it up in front of the Hampton Coliseum, so he'll have to be nice to me if he doesn't want me to post them online anywhere.

He forgets that the main reason that we're even taking this trip is to relax and have fun.

The Professor wants everyone to have a vacation after the awful events that took place last year.

The whole world almost got destroyed by some old Egyptian guy.

It was really pathetic the way that no one even thought to ask me to help save the world.

Sigh.

That's alright, because I had tried to help the X-geeks once, but they didn't listen to me.

I only came back to the team because I needed a local address to graduate from High School.

I could have forged the Brotherhood's address and no one would have known, but my best friend, Amara, needed me to come back to the X-mansion after all that had happened.

So I came back and started where I had last left off with the X-men.

Okay, so maybe it was a pain to have to go to school AND take lame classes with The Badger, Miss Prissy, and The Guy with the Stick up His Ass, but I did what I had to do.

And now I am done.

I have my diploma and I have my freedom.

The Professor keeps talking about me going to Bayville U with Rogue in the fall, but I am not sure if I'll stick around for that long.

Amara wants me to stay.

We'll see.

Right now I am focused on enjoying this summer.

It is all I can think about as I drive and smell the familiar scent of beach water.

I recognize my surroundings and realize where we are.

"VIRGINIA BEACH HERE WE COME!" I yell out the window as we approach the tunnel.

"DON'T YELL OUT THE WINDOW!"

There he goes again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Part 2: Settling In

"I call a room with Amara," I sing song as I stare at the beach house.

The old Professor sure is loaded.

Our beach house looks like the X-mansion with wooden logs.

I run down the steps that lead to the water and kick off my pink flip flops.

I'm not the only one who is in a hurry to dip my toes into the sea.

Beside me, Rahne Sinclair or Wolfsbane as we call her, is already pulling ahead of me.

The girl is all legs, and I think that she uses her wolf like mutation to give her an upper hand when it comes to running in her human body.

She is already making a name for herself on the track team at Bayville High.

I let her beat me to the water, but not without throwing a little time bomb at the back of her heels.

It explodes only enough to tickle her feet, and I can hear her laughing as she plunges into the ocean.

Most of her summer clothes are already sitting in the sand.

I take off my top and shorts, because Rahne is not the only one who dressed in their bathing suit today.

I leap into the water and swim out to Rahne, who is already jumping waves.

"Hey! Wait for me!" A hear a voice call.

I turn to look over my shoulder and see Jaimie, followed by Kurt, Jubilee, Bobby, and Kitty, slowly making their way to us.

Kitty is reluctant to get in and I roll my eyes as she timidly puts her foot in the water.

"Hey, it's like, really cold!" She says and hurries back to the shore as Kurt and Bobby throw themselves in.

"Oh, come on Kitty," Kurt calls and wades deeper into the water, "It's not that bad".

I let my body be carried to them and look deviously at Bobby, who grins when I wink at him.

We both splash Kitty at the same time.

"UGH! Guys! I can't believe you just did that!" Kitty screeches and comes in the water to splash us back.

Rogue, who is sitting on the wet sand and letting the waves run over her surprisingly bare feet, chuckles at us.

"Ya'll are really silly. Good thang I'm not able to get into the water," She says and crosses her arms over her legs.

However, Bobby and I take her comment as a challenge, and we both start to splash her relentlessly.

"Y'all immature brats!" Rogue cries out as she stands up, spitting water out of her mouth.

Her long sleeved, green shirt clings to her body and she puts her sandy wet feet into her black boots.

"Imma get you!" She cries out and comes in after us.

We all stand there, splashing one another as waves try to knock us down.

It is me, Rahne, Bobby, and Kurt against Rogue, Kitty, Jubilee, and Jaimie.

We're all soaking wet by the time Jean and Scott come to the water's edge to tell us that we have to get out.

"Hey! The Professor wants everyone to eat dinner together in about ten minutes. It's time to call it quits!" Scott shouts to us.

Bobby releases his grip from holding Jaimie underwater.

I see that Jean has all of our clothes and shoes in her hands, and she holds them out to us as we get out.

"Thanks, Red," I say to her.

It is the nickname that the Brotherhood of Mutants called her from my time with them.

I think it gets under her skin just a little bit.

But then again it is probably good for Jean Grey to experience a little frustration every now and again.

I wink at Scott as I pass him and hold onto his arm.

He's wearing a muscle shirt; something that I thought only tough guys could pull off.

Not someone who's been walking around in collar shirts and khaki pants for the last year since his start at Bayville U.

"Would have loved to have seen you out there, Scott," I say to him and squeeze on his muscle for added affect, "Maybe tomorrow, huh?"

Scott sighs and takes his free hand to gently remove mine from his skin.

"Yeah. Maybe next time, Tabitha," He says, but I know he doesn't mean it.

I just smile and walk up the rest of the way towards the steps that lead to the house.

On the railing I see one of my other teammates, Sam, squatting and dejectedly looking at those of us that are returning.

I go over and lean my back against the railing.

I look down at the top of his towhead.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask him.

Sam looks up at me as if noticing me for the first time.

I am slightly offended.

"Ah'am sorry Miss Smith. Ah didn't notice ya there…ah'm fine."

I smile at him.

"That's fine. Have you been out here all by yourself?"

He shakes his head, causing his floppy hair to go into his eyes.

"Naw ma'am. Sunspot was out here with meh for awhile. But he went back inside when it started gettin' dark an' cool."

I nudge at his knee with my bare foot.

It leaves a wet print on his dry blue jeans.

"Why didn't you join us, Cannonball?" I ask him and call him by his codename, which I think doesn't need any of my charismatic enhancement skills.

The clumsy Kentucky mutant looks down at his hands and I can see a blush wash over his skin.

"Ah'n know how to swim, Miss," He admits to me.

I laugh.

"Wow. That's a first? Don't they have lakes and rivers where you're from, country boy?" I ask him in a incredulous tone.

Sam looks up at me and stands.

He's taller than Scott now, but he's still in that awkward teenage phase.

I can tell that despite his need for speed and obsessive flight to go cannonball, he doesn't even have control over his own legs and arms.

"Ah never learnt," He admits to me.

I smack his arm.

"Don't worry, Sammy, I'll teach you how to swim," I tell him.

Sam looks down at me with hopeful eyes.

"Ya sure?" He asks me.

I nod my head and shrug my shoulders.

"Sure, why not? I need to do some good, benevolent act while I'm out here, anyway. Don't worry, this is where my dad first taught me how to swim. It was right here in the Virginia Beach waters," I tell him as I turn and look out towards the sea, placing my elbows on the railing.

I watch as Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Rogue, Jubilee, Bobby, and Rahne head up towards the house.

Kurt grabs Rogue and Kitty by their waists and teleports them somewhere.

My guess is inside of the house.

Rahne turns into her wolf form and races Bobby towards the steps.

Jubilee chases after them.

That leaves Scott and Jean to walk the rest of the way together.

I watch as they silently join hands.

The water and the setting sun is their background.

Those two were definitely meant for one another.

"Miss Smith?" I hear Sam say.

I turn my head a little to look at Sam.

"Hmmm?"

"Well, can we keep this to ourselves? Ah really don't want Bobby an' the rest of the guys teasin' me about this," Sam says.

I smile at him and turn to him.

"Sure thing, sweatheart," I tell him as Bobby, Rahne, and Jubilee approach us.

But I'm not good with secrets, so I don't know how long it will be kept.

I don't tell that to Sam.

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	2. Chapter 2

"So, you're actually going to teach Sam how to swim?" Amara asks me as we get ready for bed.

I punch my pillow a few times before I hop into the bottom bunk.

Amara climbs onto the top.

I hear her shuffling around as she tries to get comfortable.

"Yup! It's going to be great!" I tell her.

"Are you sure about this, Tabitha? Can you even teach someone to swim at the beach?" She asks me.

"That's how my dad taught me. I don't see the problem," I say.

"Yeah, but how old were you when he actually taught you how to swim?" She asks.

"Four or five...I can't remember," I answer.

"See. You're dad was probably able to save you if you started to drown or float away. You're not going to be able to do that with Sam," She says.

Crap. I didn't think about that.

"Don't worry, Amara," I tell her, "I'm not going to let the him die".

"Okay, Tabitha. I trust you," Amara says with a yawn.

I stand up on my bed and hit her with my pillow.

"OW!" She cries.

"Are you going to come and jump the waves with me tomorrow?" I ask her.

I tickle her stomach and she laughs.

"I can't! I already told Jubilee and Kitty that I'd go shopping with them at the mall...remember?" She gasps.

I get back into my bed and bury my face into my pillow.

I start to fall asleep.

"Tabitha...maybe you should teach Sam how to swim somewhere a little more private...," Amara says.

"Like where?" I ask her through a yawn.

"Like the hotel that's near the beach house. I heard Jamie say that we can use their indoor pool for free," She says.

"I'll be sure to check into it," I tell her.

"Goodnight Tabitha," Amara whispers.

"Goodnight Amara," I say.

"I love you," She says quietly.

I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face.

"I know you do, kiddo," I tell her, "Who doesn't?".

I can hear Amara laugh.

…...

"Good morning, sunshines!" I call out as I open the door to Sam Guthrie and Roberto da Costa's room.

"Hey," Roberto says, and I can hear the accent that accentuates his words.

He is the only one inside.

I look for Sam, but he is nowhere in sight.

Then I notice that Roberto is wearing nothing but his underwear.

However, he doesn't seem at all uncomfortable that I walked into his room without knocking.

The good thing about Roberto is that he is a cool guy.

He likes to show off every once in awhile, but I can't think who wouldn't want to show off if they had a mutation like his.

We get along just fine.

"Where's Cannonball?" I ask him.

"He went to go take a shower," He tells me.

As he goes to grab a shirt from his dresser drawer, I notice that the Afro-Brazilian would be a perfect fit for my bestfriend.

"Hey, would you ever think of dating Amara?" I ask him as I lean casually against the doorway.

"Tabitha...I'd think of dating you," He says as he puts on his shirt and a pair of pants.

He's a flirt.

I roll my eyes.

"I know. I would, too," I tell him sarcastically.

"Miss Smith?" I hear a familiar country drawl say behind me.

I turn around to see Sam standing in the door way with nothing but a towel covering his waist.

I whistle.

"Put on your swim trunks, Sammy boy! We're going to the pool!" I tell him as I slap him on the back.

Roberto must seem to notice the new found friendliness that Sam and I have, because he asks,"Wait, are you guys dating?"

It doesn't surprise me that he would jump to conclusions.

There seems to be a lot of members on the team that are either trying to date one another or already dating.

Jubilee and Bobby. Scott and Jean. Jamie and Kitty.

"Naw! Naw!" Sam says.

"Yeah. We are," I tell Roberto.

Why not have a little fun?

Sam's face goes red, and I can tell that Roberto is trying to decide on who to believe.

I grab Sam's waist and look up at him.

"It's okay, honey. You can tell everyone now. I don't mind," I tell him.

I laugh at the expression on Sam's face.

He looks like he's about to pee on himself.

I kiss his cheek and wink at him.

"I'll be waiting outside. Hurry up and puts some shorts on, sweetheart!" I say and walk away.

As I am leaving, I see that Jamie, Kurt, Bobby, and Ray all watching me from their doorways.

"When did you and Sam start going out, Tabitha?" Bobby asks me as he comes out of his room.

I walk down the hall and smile.

"Just now," I say as I turn on my heel and leave.

…...

"Our first lesson will be great! Amara told me I should teach you how to swim in a indoor pool first. We'll make going into the real water your goal to accomplish by the end of this trip!" I tell Sam as we walk towards the hotel that is down from where the Professor has us staying.

Sam has been quiet since we left the house.

I know that it is probably that he doesn't have much to say.

I don't know if this is how he usually acts.

I never really paid attention to him before until now.

"What's the matter with you. If you're not going to talk, I could be having a lot more fun with Bobby and the rest of the guys right now," I tell him.

"Naw, Ah'm sorry. Is jus that I was thinkin' about what you'd said to Sunspot about us," He says.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him.

He looks down at the sand as we walk.

"You know...," He says.

I laugh.

"You're still thinking about what I said at the house? I was just playing, country boy! Man! Besides, if everyone thinks that we're spending time together, because we want to, they're not going to find out about your big secret," I tell him.

He looks up and stares at me.

"You're right!" He exclaims.

"Of course I am," I tell him.

I walk backwards and smile at him.

"You don't have to worry about me trying to be your girlfriend, country boy. You're so gullible," I say.

"Ah'm not gullible," He says.

"Yeah, I know," I say as I turn to walk beside him again.

"Did you know that if you eat a apple seed, it can grow into a tree inside your belly?" I ask him.

"Really?" He says after awhile.

I look up at him and smile.

His face goes red again.


End file.
